OK, so I was thinkin last week that I should start a blog.... so here I am. I have been ready a couple of my friend`s blogs and was very encouraged by what they were communicating to the world, as to what the Lord was doing in and through their lives. What a blessing technology can be:) So the title Jesus Juice stemed from a comment I made about 4 years ago. I was up in front of my campus ministry (Chi Alpha) giving to my peeps what the Lord had done at a recent retreat. I mentioned that "Jesus Juice" was something that we needed to sip on daily in order to live out the will of God daily. So I guess if I could define Jesus Juice it would be the Juice of life that Jesus wants to give us through the cross. And if we ernestly and honestly seek after who He is and what He has to offer daily, then our life`s purpose will be lived. This life is weird, crazy, exciting, confusing, energizing, tragic, and beautiful all at the same time. But the one thing that i have come to learn to trust in is Jesus. He is "the way, the truth and the life" and He is the reason for every season.
Just this morning, I was reading in acts when Saul was headed to Demascus and the Lord came down and took his eye sight away. He asked Saul why he was persecuting God and God`s people. God knew how gun-hoe Saul was and He desired to use Saul`s ernest desire to live out what he believed in. You see, I believe that our culture is missing one very important thing.... and that is Men of God. I am not talking about "Christian men" here. We have plenty of men who will say that they are Christian but when someone says that they are Christian, that means that God is Lord of their lives. And deductive reasoning would tell me that if God is not Lord of a life, then that person is only kidding themselves. Listen, I am not judging any specific man here, I simply see a lack of leaders. A lack of Christian leaders. God is not calling perfect men, but very imperfect men! Men that are willing to sacrific and humble themselves before the Lord.
I struggle with many things in this life and God knows those those struggles. My prayer is that God will bring men into my life that share those struggles, that we may sharpen eachother through the Power of the Holy Spirit, that lives and moves and breaths.
The thing that we must start off with is a couple of questions: What is masculine? What does being a man look like, daily? What duties and responsibilities is a man called to? What does God have to say about being a man? How does God effect my manhood? These questions are not easy questions to answer but i do believe that we can come to correct answers if we ask the Lord with a willing and open heart.
You see, I have seen in my life how many fallacies I have listened to regarding this topic. Look at our society and lets define what a man is considered there? Does this man take pride in responsibility, in leadership of their home, and service to their partner and loved ones? I do not believe so. This man is consumed with instant gradification, little to zero desire of responsibility and the will to be served!
Now, Jesus speaks pretty clearly on this topic. He says (paraphrased) "That I did not come to be served but to serve". I believe that the art of service is a lost art in our culture. I have seen this in myself and the people around me for years. I battle daily with the desire to be served and God challenges me to reach out in service. For a servant who does not serve is hardly a servant at all!
In the book Wild at Heart, John Eldridge calls men step up and be men. Not men that are concerned with the things that they see but men that are concerned with things that they cannot see... eternal things. Jesus says "for the things that we see are temporary, but the things that we do not see are eternal". God is calling men to walk with Him so he can teach is how to be real, authentic men. I have two choices here. I can pretend to be a man or I can step into what being a man really means.
Ive been thinking about what it is that I want in a spouse. There are a couple of key virtues that i desire. But a couple of months ago God tells me this..."Danny boy, I will not put a woman in your life so she can serve you the rest of your days here, but I will place a woman in your life so you may serve her the rest of your days". So now I ask a different question, what kind of woman do I want to serve the rest of my life? I believe this is the most important question us men can ask when chosing a spouse. It sets our marriage up or success.
Practically, if you desire nothing but to serve her and she desires nothing but to serve you, then your marriage will be that of a healthy one. I will be going through some biblical principles on what God says about being men and I challenge you to walk on a journey with me in pursuit of what God says about being a man.
So pray with me that the Lord will place people in your life and mine, that we can seek to serve. remember, we will "sow what we reap". God will take care of us as we take care of His people. That`s a promise from the Lord. He will provide.
Thank you for listening and please comment if you have any thing to say in agreeance or rebuttal of my points.
I pray that the peace of the Lord be with you today, tomorrow and forever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2J9Ia0X6WE
This is encouraging..I'm glad your blogging. Share your heart and tell the world what Jesus is doing! We are his ambassadors and in our generation technology is a great way to reach people. We serve others because Christ served us to his death. We have no ownership on our lives, we were bought at a unthinkably high price. Be encouraged DZ..."The Lord is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! I agree that we need more Christian men to step up and become Men of God; men after God's own heart and men who truely love and serve other people. In my life, the men I've seen WANT to do what's right but instead choose to do what is easy. What makes a boy become a man is when he starts doing what is right especially when it's hard! For me, I will respect the weak, untalented man who has character way over the man who is strong and talented but with no character.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Danny! Keep it up!